Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained
I recently had the pleasure of meeting local business owner, Jenni Earle. Jenni’s business passion is providing women with talismans of bravery and adventure in the form of hand-dyed bandanas. Jenni’s mission and message — be brave — inspires me to be bold, to take risks, to be courageous. Her message reminds me of my favorite quote, a French proverb that I often tell myself when I get nervous or uneasy about a risk I’m about to take – “nothing ventured, nothing gained.”
I first heard this quote from a close friend in high school who was going through a difficult time. I immediately fell in love with it and I have thought of it as my personal motto ever since. I remember booking my first solo trip to Peru in my early 20s and being terrified at first. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, I told myself while I purchased the roundtrip airfare, which was equivalent to an entire week’s pay. While in Peru, I leaned into the proverb again and again. The words helped me be brave as I traveled alone and subsequently met my traveling companions on the ground. They buoyed me through the discomforts and dangers I encountered during my two weeks’ journey through the Amazon rain forest. In regard to the trip as a whole, the motto proved true: My Peru trip was a dream come true.
I turned to these words for comfort and courage during the final months of my father’s life. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, I said over and over again while I cared for my ailing dad. The words acted as a talisman around my heart. They aided me as I navigated the most difficult and painful time of my life. During this time of grief and caregiving, I was still a doctoral student, so I frequently flew back and forth between Boston where I studied and North Carolina where my father lived. Most days, it was all I could do to keep up with my workload and dissertation writing.
I contemplated taking a break from working on my dissertation . . . but I knew that my father would not have wanted that for me. My dad wanted me to achieve my dream of earning a doctorate. Doing so meant being brave, leaning into my support system, and taking a leave of absence from work. We didn’t know how long he had, and my dad was worried that my hiatus might not end and that I wouldn’t go back to finish my degree. So, I made the decision to take a leave of absence from work and continue writing.
I wrote my dissertation . . .
in the oncologist’s waiting room while my dad had chemotherapy treatment.
in his living room while he slept for hours.
on planes and during long car rides.
in my father’s home office when, worn down by cancer and the side effects of the chemo, he was no longer able to sit at his desk and work.
on his back porch with him right beside me because the doctor said that some sunshine would do him some good.
I’m not going to lie – this whole time, I was terrified. I was scared of the unknown and so many times I dreamed of quitting. Many days I awoke ready to give up. But pushing forward is what he wanted for me. My father wished for me to venture and to gain . . . so I did.
Just last year, I wrote the proverb down on a sticky note and put it on my computer as a daily reminder. This time the venture was a new business. Starting this business meant leaving my secure full-time research director position. I was terrified again, but I knew that this was something I wanted to do. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, I told myself as I filed for an LLC and designed my website.
In just over a year, I have ventured and gained so much — incredible clients who span the globe, a team of coaches who are just as passionate about helping doctoral students as I am, meticulous editors who comb through manuscripts to make them publication-ready.
When we work with doctoral students, we hear many stories of venturing and gaining, stories of struggle with which we can resonate. We’ve listened to clients going through a divorce, planning a wedding, caring for a dying spouse or parent, needing emergency surgery, or losing a job and starting over in a new career. All of these life experiences, devasting or inspirational, can stifle our progress and keep us from reaching our goals. Even if you aren’t experiencing something particularly challenging, you might be uneasy about what lies ahead. You might be doubting yourself. Don’t.
If you dream of having a doctoral degree (like I did), don’t let anything deter you. Embrace the journey of writing your dissertation. Venture. Gain.
We will be cheering you on,
Jessica